Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Criswell.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It all started about three years ago, when I was in one of my hot yoga classes- I looked around and realized that everyone had basically the same yoga mat and non-slip towel, including myself, and how lackluster and boring they were. I am also an avid world traveler/explorer. While traveling, I wanted a yoga mat that was lightweight and would easily fit in my suitcase/travel bag. I wanted to be able to practice yoga anywhere- from my hotel room in Thailand to the beach in Turks and Caicos, to my rooftop cave caldera in Santorini, and to my treehouse yoga jungle flow in Tulum.
When I realized that what I wanted didn’t exist, I invented it. I merged the need for a superior yoga towel for hot yoga & regular practice, and a portable lightweight yoga mat… and the Gypsy Jet Setter™ Yoga Mat was born!
After nearly three years of countless samples and product testing, I have finally perfected my yoga mat. The Gypsy Jet Setter™ Yoga Mat’s design is inspired by my travels. The first collection, The Tulum Collection, is inspired of the magical Tulum, Mexico, and comes in three color ways. I am currently pre-selling my mats to raise money for my first production order with my factory.
Has it been a smooth road?
There have definitely been challenges along the way. The biggest challenge was in perfecting my yoga mat. I worked very closely with my factory to create many many samples, tweaking and adding things each step of the way, until the mat was exactly what I wanted. The challenge was creating a yoga mat unlike anything on the market, that is made to last, with superior performance.
Achieving these things, while keeping my retail price point significantly lower than other yoga mats on the market was the main priority and was very challenging; I refused to sacrifice quality or performance of the mats, and in the end, I achieved the affordable retail price point while keeping the integrity of my product.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Gypsy Jet Setter™ Yoga invented the first eco-friendly, travel-friendly, foldable and anti-bactetrial yoga mat.
The Gypsy Jet Setter™ Yoga Mat is a yoga mat that combines the traditional yoga practices with new age fabric technology. The Gypsy Jet Setter™ Yoga Mat is made from three eco-friendly, technically advanced materials. These three layers of material have been bonded together to create a lightweight yoga mat that folds up perfectly for easy transport. The top and bottom layer are composed of eco-friendly microsuede. The eco-friendly microsuede has incredible anti-slip properties that keeps hands and feet securely in place during practice. On the underside of the yoga mat there are small silicone balls fused directly to the microsuede, which naturally grip and suction to any flat surface.
The middle layer of the yoga mat acts as a sponge, soaking up excess moisture and also adds some cushion for extra support during yoga practice. The most important aspect of the Gypsy Jet Setter™ Yoga Mat is the Silver Iron Technology that is infused into all three layers of material. The Silver Iron Technology acts as an invisible, medical-grade anti-bacterial that wont allow ANY bacteria to grow on the mat. The mat has been SGS tested and approved for its antibacterial properties. Everyone can feel great about using and re-using the Gypsy Jet Setter™ Yoga Mat on any surface (anywhere in the world) knowing that bacteria won’t be growing on the mat.
The Gypsy Jet Setter™ Yoga Mat comes packaged in a reusable, eco-friendly travel bag. This easy to carry bag is fully equipped with pull-tie, side closures for easy transport and is lined in an anti-leak protective coating. This bag is also infused with Silver Iron Technology to keep bacteria from growing on or inside the bag. The Silver Iron Technology also helps protect against those yucky gym bag smells. Bacteria equals smelly, no bacteria equals no smelly! You can put your dirty, sweaty, wet Gypsy Jet Setter™ Yoga Mat inside your bag for safe keeping and nothing will leak out.
Help eliminate plastic bag waste by using this travel bag to carry your mat, dirty clothes, etc. instead of using the traditional plastic bags that most gyms/yoga studios offer. In a span of one year the world uses over 5 trillion plastic bags…. and only 1% of those bags get recycled- YIKES! We want everyone to do their part and help protect our beautiful planet by using your Gypsy Jet Setter™ Yoga Bag again and again. Together, we can make a difference.
Gypsy Jet Setter™ is offering another way to reduce your carbon footprint. The fillable Gypsy Jet Setter™ Insulated Water Bottle is a great option instead of buying single-use plastic bottled water. We can help cut the number of plastic bottles that end up in our oceans, lakes and landfills every year.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think that this city is a fantastic place for a business like mine; in LA, we have access to so many people and resources. LA is an amazing city to network and meet people. I have met SO MANY people in LA who have given me the most incredibly valuable advice or have introduced me to someone who has helped me along the way. This is a city of hustlers, and if you know how to make the most of living here, we can all learn so much from each other!
Pricing:
- Each Gypsy Jet Setter™ Yoga Mat retails for $58
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gypsyjetsetteryoga.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gypsyjetsetteryoga/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gypsyjetsetteryoga/
- Other: http://theboredboho.com
Image Credit:
William Engebretson, Orly Israel
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